Hook

     When I write my stories I always enjoy starting off right into the story, with some sort of action, reaction, or dialogue that throws us in. Tutoring writing, it's common to work with many different levels of students who are all trying to start their papers off in the same way, wanting to lure the reader in and keep them engaged.
     I always tell them they need to capture the reader's attention, and to write it as though they were reading it for the first time--what would they want to read? My example of a hook, for a short-story, would be the following:

     "Stephanie flung from her bed when she heard a crash next door, through the cardboard thick drywall--it came from the baby's room."

     How would you start off a story? Would you give some background to the world, and paint a picture that the reader can go off of, or do you want the reader snagged in by unending suspense?